DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4417, 22 May 1922, Page 2

DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

CONFERENCE AT NGATEA. CREAM CARTAGE’PROBLEMS!. The- Hauraki Plains Suppliers’ Committees met Mr Ai- ’J- Sinclair (ass’stant manager) and Messrs G. Buchanan, F. Hansen, and E. W. Waite, s, of the N.Z. Co-operative Dairy Copmany, at Ngatea on Friday afternoon. Tins was one of the series of l quarterly conferences. There were present representatives from Waitakaruru, Hopai Road, Pipiroa, Orchard Erst Road, Kerepeehi,. Patetongai Kaihere, Huirau Road, Orongo, Shelly Beach,' Kppuarahi, and. Ngatea.' Mr W. McDuff (Ngatea) was elected to the chair. Mr Sinclair delivered an address similar to the one given at Paeroa on Thursday, and reported fully in Friday’s "Gazette.” The questions asked and the resultant discussion were mostly concerning cream cartage, brought before the conference by Mr E. W. Harris, of the Mahuta-Ngarua (Kaihere) section. W DELAYED SHIPMENT. Mr McDuff asked why some 15,000 boxes of butter were not sold in the local markets. Mr Sinclair said that the last winter was a mild one in the Sbuth, and there had not been the usual demand from the South Island. The Company had then 15,000 boxes on hand. After permission had been obtained fjor the export it was shipped to England. If the butter could have been sold immediately on its arrival instead of being hung up there would have been no loss at all. Mr Goodfellow 1 had done his best to get the butter unloaded before the price fell. ECONOMY AND CARTING. Mr E. W. Harris, Kaihere, said he had enjoyed Mr Sinclair's address. He had touched on economy. The suppliers had been served very well by the Ngatea factory. They had previously received their periodical statement in the cans. Now the statements. wore received through the post and the last sent by mail had been eight days Idte in arriving. If the statements were returned through the cans the company would save in that district £2lOO. Last year, when they had received the first bonus payment, a large reduction had been made for share capital. He asked for information on that point. The cost <,f carting tlie cream was heavy. Some suppliers had not patronised the carting and the reductions for carting were ' heavy. A resolution had been passed by the suppliers at his end that the company be urged to make all suppliers patronise the cream carts; 1 . _

Mr Sinclair said the new method of sending the periodical statements had been adopted recently, at • the request of suppliers in other parts of the district. It had been known that when the cans had been left on the side of the road “nosey Parkers” could pry into the neighbours’ business. Regarding the reductions for share capital, he maintained that the suppliers Should be able tp estimate what the reductions should be. The company had t-> spend the money before it was brought in, and if the money were obtained earlier it would be better.

Regarding the cartage, some' of the suppliers had been pf the opinion that the carting of their own cream was cheaper, but he did not think so. The contracts specified that if the suppliers did not pay for their cartage the cans should nqt be lifted. Mr Harris asked if the directors of the company could force the suppliers to patronise the cream carts.

Mr Buchanan said the company endeavoured to seek equanimity among the farmers, but they could not force the suppliers to send their cream' by the - cart. The suppliers using the carts must sign a guarantee that they are prepared to have the amounts for the cartage deducted from their cheques, and if a supplier backed out before the end of the season the amount would be deducted just the same for the rest otf the season.

Mr T. McLoughlin said that one supplier was carting his own cream and also taking two other suppliers’ cream. He thought that as the two other suppliers did not cart their own cream their cans should go on the cream cart.

Mr Buchanan said the company had no right over the suppliers’ actions. He did not believe that in that particular case,the man was repaid for his own carting.

Mr Marshall urged that the company should control all the carting,

and charge it to all Mr Rogers said Mrßuchanan had said that the suppliers would be signed up before using the cartage contracts. He asked how -would the suppliers know how many would use the cart ?

Mr Sinclair said it was a real difficulty and the company always maintained that in an unlikely contingency such as that the company had the r ! ght to control the contract. On the railways the cream cartage cost y 4 d per lb. Mr Marshall’s suggestion was a good argument for the backblock settlements, but it would riot work in the more closely populated areas like Pukehoke. THE DAIRY POOL. Mr Sutton asked if there would oc the same payments in the dairy pool for all grades. Mr Sinclair said there would be different payments for different grades. Mr. Madgwick said that according to the grading different factories got different prices. He maintained that all factories should get the same price. Mr Sinclair said that the dairy pool would fix that. CREAM CARTING. Mr Harris said he wished the directors’ help in the cream carting; He thoguht most of the suppliers; were behind him. Mr A. JI. Vowles said in his area the suppliers had decided on a contract and all the settlers tad signed the authority for a reduction before they talked of terms. Mr Buchanan said the company was in favour pf any scheme adopted by the committees. It was immaterial

to the company how the cartage was . conducted. They could not force any settlers to use the scheme. He suggested that the suppliers have a conference. If one contiqact were let from Kaihere tp Ngatea and another let from Mangatarata tp Kaihere he thought that would get over the difficulty. Mr Harris : No, By a majority of 19 to 2 the committee decided to. run the cart to the Ngarua landing. Mr McDuff thought that if the supr pliers would meet the man who was carting his own cream something might be done. Mr Harris said they had done that without any satisfaction. Mr Davidson congratulated Mr Hani is on fighting so well for his end of the district. He asked if it wbuld pay the Kaihere suppliers better to have a factory at their end of the district' or cart the cream to Ngatea. CREAM TO AUCKLAND. ,

Ml’ McLoughlin said some of the money in the back-folocks had gone to build the factory at Ngatea. It had enhanced the value of the property in Ngatea, but had no.t benefited Kaihere, where the settlers had to pay for cartage. One supplier in his district had proposed sending his cream to Auckland, where he claimed he could get a better price. The company should try to settle the question. If those who were near the factory were willing to share with .those in the back blocks - the company should consider it.

Mr Buchanan said that though the. Plains did not have the railway they had the rivers and the launch!. Mr McLoughlin said the Kaihere cream was dumped at the Kaihere Landing and left in the sun till’ the cream launch came down from Patetonga. where the cream .was graded early in the morning. The Kaihere, cream was not graded till it eached the factory. Mr Buchanan said it was a concession to the Patetonga district. iPatetonga was the only station where a charge had not been made in that respect. The company preferred getting the cream into the factory as sbon as possible. He thought some shelter should be arranged at the Kaihere Landing. RECOMMENDATIONS. Mr Harris said all sorts of schemes' had been tried to cart the cream. The only fair way was on a butter-fat' basis on the whole of the district. ‘Hi proposed “That this representative meeting of committees of suppliers to the Ngatea factory recommend to the directors to use their best endeavours to make it compulsory for every supplier on a cartage route to pay a fair share of the cost, and that a representative ofj the company be sent to any district where his services are necessary to bring this into force.” Mr Sexton seconded. Mr Paterson said the trouble was that the flat rate would not be acceptable -to the suppliers who were near the factories. He maintained that the company could not force the suppliers tp make them use the carting system. Mr Buchanan said the company would do all possible to get all suppliera to use the system. Mr McLoughlin proposed an amendment that it be a recommendation that the cream carting'be a flat rate to all suppliers. Mr Marshall seconded. FACTORY ADDITIONS.

Mr Davidson said he had tihe knowledge that the company intended to enlarge the Ngatea factory. He urged that the matter be gpne into as to whether it would be better to have a factory in their own district or cart their cream to Ngatea. > He did nd: . think it was fair to say that the factory at Ngatea liad enhanced the value of the land there and not benefited any other places supplying it. > He tl ought it unfair to move any resolution before the matter was fully gone into. Mr Hansen said it was an inopportune time to advocate building a factory. . Mr McDuff thought the supply Of cream at Kaihere and Patetong.i would not warrant a factory at the present time. Mr Marshall thought a direct levy was made on the Thames Valley to provide for the Ngatea; factory. Mr Buchanan said all the com-i pany's districts had to help to pay for the Ngatea factory. Ngaruawahia was the cheapest working centre, and the Houraki Plains had the benefit of the cheap working, there. Speaking of the coalfields, he said that even if the Ngatea factory did not get the coal direct from the coalfields it would benefit by the money saved Mr Marshall said that.assuming the company proposed erecting a factory, say, at. Waitakaruru, would all the suppliers be charged for the erection of. that fatcory ? . Mr Sinclair said it would be taken from the share capital fund.,'. Mr McLoughlin thought they could overcome the carting scheme' if they .would not require additional factories. Mr Hale said he would like to see affairs come to an amicable settlement and report to the next quarterly ccnference. Mr McLoughlin wished to test the feeling of the meeting. Mr McDuff thought no resolution should be carried at the meeting. ' Mr Hansen asked if a 'vote taken through the post would suit the case. x The company could arrange to have a vote taken through the post. Mr Buchanan said some of the carting contracts had shown a slight debit and some a slight credit. Some of t'he books would be closed shortly. Mir McDuff thought the balancesheets should'be issued tp each cartage service. Some of the suppliers thought they were paying .too much lor their service. 1 Mr Hansen said that if. any supplier wished to see the figures of any service he could see them immediately. Mr McLoughlin said he .wished the flat rate for the cartage to be levied only'on the Ngatea district. The amendment and motion were then both put tb the vote. The amende ment was lost and the motion carried. The meeting concluded with votes of thanks being passed to Mr Sinclair and party and tp the chair.